EVERYTHING is looking rosy on and off the pitch for Ilkley Town at the moment, with a fine season in the West Yorkshire League Premier Division being complemented by a good chance of joining a new division.

Town sit fourth in the league. They are without a defeat since mid-October, have games in hand on the teams above and have scored more goals than anyone else in the division.

But next season could arguably top this one, with Ilkley possibly about to make the step up into Division One of the Northern Counties East League.

The club's chairman, Richard Giles, confirmed that, after an inspection last December, the league asked for just a couple of improvements to be made for their application to be accepted.

He said: "We needed to do a couple of things but we've sorted one of those out by building a spectator shelter. We've still got to do some work in the changing rooms and we'll be doing that over the next two months.

"The application is in for next season, and there's a reshuffle in the pyramid, with a new Step Four league.

"That means four teams are getting promoted from Division One, which leaves spaces open for teams like us."

The potential move up is something Giles says he and the club would be very proud of.

He said: "Ilkley had never even had a team at this (current) level so it would be fantastic.

"A town as big as this wants a team to be proud of, and it's not just our first team. We have 600 players at the club, from our junior sides up to the veterans, and we want to be seen as a community club."

He added: "Ilkley Rugby Club are a great example (of rising up the leagues). It's led to improving facilities there and a boost in their standing.

"For us, our 4G pitch has transformed the club, and it has attracted better quality players. It's also improved the standard of coaching too."

It might be time to watch this space, as Ilkley Town could soon be the name on everyone's lips in West Yorkshire.